Chair backrest



March 26, 1968 E. F. HAMILTUYON ETAL I 3,375,040

CHAIR BACKREST Filed July 26, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheebl a I04 l I m I l IINVENTORS 1 EARL F. HAMILTON 1g- 0wm K. MOORE RALPH B. LAY

ATTORNEYS March 26, 1968 E. F. HAMILTON ETAL 3,375,040

CHAIR BACKREST 2 Sheets-Sheet :3

INVENTORS EARL F. HAMILTON EDWINK. MOORE RALPH B. LAY

ATTO RNEYS United States Patent 3,375,040 CHAIR BACKREST Earl F.Hamilton, Boca Raton, Fla., and Edwin K. Moore and Ralph B. Lay,Columbus, Ind., assignors to Hamilton Cosco, Inc., Columbus, Ind., acorporation of Indiana Filed July 26, 1966, Ser. No. 567,923 Claims.(Cl. 297-460) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A chair backrest in which thereis a pair of laterally spaced uprights interconnected by a pair oftransverse, opposed channel members. The members are bowed rearwardlyand a padded panel is retained between said members in a stressedrearwardly bowed condition with its upper and lower edges received insaid members.

This invention relates to a backrest for a chair and has for its objectsthe provision of a backrest which will be comfortable to the user, whichwill be of attractive appearance, which can be quickly and easilyassembled and disassembled, and which will prove sturdy and durable inuse.

In accordance with the preferred form of the invention, there isprovided a pair of laterally spaced uprights interconnected by opposedupper and lower rearwardly bowed channel members. Each of said channelmembers is provided with a forward flange and .a longer rearward flangeinterconnected by a web, and a padded panel is interposed between saiduprights with its upper and lower margins received between the flangeson said members. Said panel has a generally planar configuration, butupon insertion into the channel members, it is bowed rearwardly andreleasably retained between said members in a stressed condition.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent fromthe more detailed description which follows and from the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a chair having a backrest embodying theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the backrest shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line 33 of FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, our backrest is adapted to be employed in connectionwith any type of conventional chair having a plurality ofgr-ound-engageable legs supporting a seat 12. Said backrest comprises apair of laterally spaced uprights 14 conveniently formed from lengths ofmetal tubing. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, said uprightsconstitute upward extensions of the rear legs 10. The uprights 14 areinterconnected by upper and lower transverse channels 16 and 18 rigidlyconnected at their ends to the adjacent inner faces of said uprights. Asshown in FIG. 3, channel 1 6 comprises a forward flange 19interconnected by .a Web 20 to a longer rearward flange 21 whose loweredge projects below the lower edge of flange 19. In a similar manner,channel 18 comprises a forward flange 22 interconnected by a web 23 to alonger rearward flange 24 whose upper edge projects above the upper edgeof the forward flange 22. The channels are mounted in the uprights inopposed relationship and are bowed rearwardly with respect to saiduprights with channel 18 having a longer radius of curvature thanchannel 16.

The channels 16 and 18 support a padded panel 26 conveniently formedfrom a bendable board 27 of hardboard or the like, and having a heightgreater than the distance between the lower edge of flange 19 and theweb ICC 23 and a width approximating the distance between the uprights14. A compressible foam pad 28 is mounted on the front face of board 27,and a covering 29 extends over the front face of the pad 28 and the rearface of board 27 for thus encapsulating said pad and board. The panel 26is made as a generally planar sub-assembly and has an overall thicknessgreater than the spacing between the front and rear flanges on channels16 and 18.

The panel 26 is inserted into the channels 16 and 18 by disposing therear face of its upper margin against the downwardly projecting rearflange 21 on channel 16. Said panel is then moved upwardly in channel 16until its lower margin clears the upper edge of flange 22 on channel 18,whereupon said panel is moved downwardly into channel 18 with its uppermargin interposed between flanges 19 and 21 and its lower margininterposed between flanges 22 and 24 and its opposed en-ds abutting theadjacent faces of uprights 14. The panel will be bindingly retained inposition in the channels by reason of its pa-d being compressed betweenthe channel flanges and by reason of its being formed in a planarcondition but being bowed rearwardly in a stressed condition by therearward bow of said channels. The rearward bow of the panel furthercauses the pad 28 on said panel to bulge forwardly to enchance thecomfort of the back rest.

As will be apparent, if it is desired for any reason to remove the panel26, it is merely necessary to slide said panel upwardly in channel 16until its lower margin clears the upper edge of flange 22 on channel 18,Whereupon the lower end of said panel can be swung forwardly to clearchannel 18. With the panel out of engagement with channel 18, it can beslid downwardly out of channel 16.

We claim:

1. A chair backrest comp-rising .a pair of laterally spaced uprights,upper and lower channel members interconnecting said uprights and eachhaving a forward flange and a longer rearward flange interconnected by aweb, said members being in opposed relationship and bowed rearwardlywith respect to said uprights, and a padded panel having its upper andlower margins received between the flanges on said members, said panelbeing retained in said members in a stressed rearward bowed condition.

2. The invent-ion as set forth in claim 1 in which said lower member hasa greater radius of curvature than said upper member.

3. The invention as set forth in claim "1 in which the height of saidpanel is greater than the distance between the forward flange on one ofsaid members and the web on the other and less than the distance betweenthe webs on said members.

4. The invention as set forth in claim 11 in which the opposed ends ofsaid panel abut the adjacent inner faces of said uprights.

'5. The invention as set forth in claim 1 in which said panel comprises:a board of bendable material and a compressible pad covering theforward face thereof, said panel having thickness greater than thedistance between the forward and rearward flanges on said members.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,930,667 3/1960 Zearfoss 312-3043,041,110 6/1962 King et a1 297-451 3,135,552 6/1964 Lock-shin 2974523,147,998 9/1964 Hamilton 297--452 3,288,529 11/1966 Koch 297-4603,291,529 12/1966 Straits 297-460 X CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner.

